The title of this article may sound like an odd question to ask, but what I mean by "When Should I List Items on eBay?" is:
When Do You Want Your Items to End?
This may sound like a very different question, but it actually isn’t. You may already be aware of this, but the majority of activity on items on eBay is done in the last few hours. This is due to a well known tactic called sniping, where bidders try to leave as little time as possible for other bidders to respond to their activity. So, with this in mind, its important to ensure that your items finish during a period where as many people as possible from your target audience are likely to see, and bid on, your auctions. This way you optimise the number of potential people available to bid on your items during this vital period for your auctions.
The obvious answer here is to have your items finishing when the peak number of people are on eBay. With this in mind, I recommend that you try to make sure that your auctions end during the daytime at the weekend. Also, if you look at general Internet browsing habits, the majority of people are on the Internet during the afternoon or early evening during the weekends. So, the rule of thumb here is:
Your items should end any time during the afternoon or evening during the weekend
With this in mind, this means that you should list your items at the following times dependent on their duration:
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1 day auction – Friday or Saturday afternoon or evening
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3 day auction – Wednesday or Thursday afternoon or evening
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5 day auction – Monday or Tuesday afternoon or evening
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7 day auction – Saturday or Sunday afternoon or evening
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10 day auction – Wednesday or Thursday afternoon or evening
My personal favourite is using the 10 day auction and starting your listing at about 5pm on a Thursday. This choice gives you three important benefits to maximise your eBay income from your listings:
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Your auctions are listed on eBay for two full weekends which is when the majority of people use eBay
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This is longest time for an auction to be listed so you give the most time for people to find and Watch your listings until it comes time for them to bid
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Your auction ends at 5pm on Sunday, which is a peak usage period for eBay.
Timing is important on eBay, remember this and your auctions will get more of the potential they deserve.
